Core i7-3840QM vs Core i5-10400F

The Core i7-3840QM packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i5-10400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i5-10400F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Core i7-3840QM versus 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F — a 12.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Core i7-3840QM uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i5-10400F uses Comet Lake (2020−2025) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-3840QM scores 5,871 against the Core i5-10400F's 13,029 — a 75.7% lead for the Core i5-10400F. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 676 vs 1,454, a 73.1% lead for the Core i5-10400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-3840QM vs 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F.

The Core i7-3840QM uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-10400F uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1600 on the Core i7-3840QM versus DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F — the Core i5-10400F supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-10400F supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: HM75,HM76,HM77,QM77,QS77 (Core i7-3840QM) and H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F).

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-3840QM) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F). The Core i7-3840QM includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 4000), while the Core i5-10400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-3840QM targets Mobile Workstation, Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i7-3840QM rivals A10-5750M; Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.